Grace, peace and mercy be yours as we await Jesus’ resurrection victory. Amen.

Narrative Story Opening

The sun had set, and silence filled the air. The streets of Jerusalem, once bustling with voices shouting in anger, had now quieted. The dust from the crowds had settled, and the city rested under a heavy darkness.

The followers of Jesus had scattered, each burdened by the weight of loss and uncertainty. Some hid in fear, others wept in disbelief. The Teacher, the Healer, the One they had called Messiah, was gone. Buried. Sealed in a tomb.

The man sits outside the sealed tomb, the air thick with silence and sorrow. Nearby, others gather in quiet vigil, their faces etched with grief and uncertainty. As the night deepens, the man reflects on the events that brought him here.

Though the tomb is sealed, he feels a sense of anticipation, as if something is about to happen, something wonderful. The stars above seem brighter than usual, casting a faint light over the ground. The man whispers a prayer, clinging to the hope that this is not the end of his journey. He did not come this far to see this as the end.

Introduction: The Struggle of Waiting

Waiting can be one of the hardest things in life. Whether it’s waiting for a diagnosis, waiting for a call, or waiting for an answer to prayer, the space between what was and what is to come can feel a bit unbearable. This is the weight of Holy Saturday, the day between death and resurrection, sorrow and joy, darkness and dawn.

The disciples had no certainty of what was coming. The only thing they had was waiting. Today, as we reflect on this moment in history, we will see that Holy Saturday is not just a pause. It is a place of faith, trust, and hope in what is yet unseen.¹

Hope in the Silence

In the beginning, God created.² With each word, life took shape. Then after six days of work He rested on the seventh. But that rest wasn’t emptiness. It was completion. Now, in a tomb, on that seventh day, Jesus rests again. That rest isn’t emptiness. It is completion.

He rests, not in defeat, but in the fulfillment of His mission and the first promise.³ Just as there was anticipation for the dawn of creation, now all creation waits for the dawn of resurrection.

How do you handle God’s silence? Do you trust He is still working, still listening, still seeing you, even when you can’t see it?

God’s Faithfulness in the Waiting

The Bible spells it out plainly:

If we have died with Christ,
we will also be raised with Him.⁴

But between death and resurrection, there is waiting. On that very first Holy Saturday, the disciples didn’t know the end of the journey yet. It was the highest, holiest day of their year, but I wonder if they went to church. They only saw the grave, and it was their Church⁵ that put Jesus there.

We know the waiting of Holy Saturday is not in vain. It is a promise in motion. A farmer plants a seed in the dirt. For a time, nothing seems to happen. The ground is still. There is no sign of life or color. But underground life is taking root. The waiting is necessary for the growth to come. When God says “wait,” He is growing you. The seeds of faith is God planting in your waiting? Are you trusting Him for that sprout of growth even in silence?

Hope That Anchors the Soul

Joseph of Arimathea lovingly places Jesus’ body in the tomb.⁶ A great stone was rolled over the entrance. A Roman seal was placed on the tomb and Roman guards stood watch. To all who witnessed it, it looked like the end. Jesus, the Son of God, was dead.

But it wasn’t the end. God’s plan was unfolding, even behind a sealed tomb. Like a seed taking root, the waiting was necessary. It is often said, and often true, the darkest hour is just before sunrise. It is the moment when hope feels farthest away, but the light is already on its way.

The question is: What are the sealed tombs in our lives? Are you assuming hope is lost? Or do we trust that the dawn is coming?

Waiting as Worship

Today we gather exploring the anticipation and doubts of the disciples. Then looking into our hearts and seeing the doubts and anticipation there. Today things my look bleak, dark, even empty. It may feel like there is so little light. One small candle does not provide an abundance of light, but it is light.

No room can be made so dark that the light cannot be seen in it. Light always overcomes. Jesus is the Light of the World. No matter how dark the world might be, no matter how difficult life might become, Jesus always overcomes. That is, in fact, the very thing we anticipate today. Tomorrow’s triumph over darkness, forever.

Conclusion: The Dawn is Coming

The prophet Jeremiah, known as the weeping prophet because of the pain in his heart over his people who had wandered so far from God, wrote these words:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
His mercies never come to an end.
They are new every morning.⁷

Holy Saturday reminds us that God is never finished until he says He is finished. Yesterday we heard Him say, “It is finished.” It was in that moment He was finished. The debt of sin had been paid. The holy war against Satan and all he brings, was done. When all seemed lost, Jesus was just preparing something greater than we could have imagined: Easter.

We leave today waiting, in anticipation, in expectation, knowing that this is not the end. The Easter-dawn is coming. Be sure to be here to hear tomorrow, as we gather in joy and triumph, celebrating the greatest victory of all: Our risen Savior.

Narrative Story Closing

The sun had set, and silence filled the air. The followers of Jesus waited in grief, in sorrow, in uncertainty. But beyond what they could see, something was happening. A promise was being fulfilled. A stone would be rolled away. Death would lose its hold.

The night stretches on, but the man refuses to leave. What will the dawn bring? Join us on Easter morning as we witness the joy in the truth, “He Is Risen!”

Amen.

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